Joanna Allhands is The Republic’s digital opinions editor, overseeing our opinions content on the web, in video and through social media.
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Envision Utah’s lessons for Arizona reformers

MORNING UPDATE, DEC. 14:

Utah’s lessons: Arizona has made several attempts to set forward-thinking agendas for the state. But the gold standard is Envision Utah, which was formed in 1997 to create a regional plan for future growth. Brookings Mountain West recently reviewed the effort, offering takeaways that those working on education-funding and immigration-reform plans should consider:

– Make sure those leading the effort are capable of doing the work and sustaining its momentum.

– Don’t just engage the public once; building true consensus requires a constant, data-based conversation.

– Package proposals so that they appeal to the community’s values; otherwise, you’re dead in the water.

– If the right people aren’t involved, you’re wasting your time. Make sure you have the right political setup.

Ungh: At what point will the national media be able to tell a feel-good Arizona story without looking down its nose at us? The New York Times wrote about a Bill of Rights memorial being unveiled this weekend at the state Capitol. The paper didn’t have to say “those backwater idiots say they love freedom, but their actions hardly prove it.” The angle that we had to get kooks on board to approve a memorial to freedom said plenty.

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